Illahee Wrestlers poorly mimic Portland Wrestling. (I'm not sure how they got me to smile for this photo!) As a kid I was called a tomboy, not a girly girl. I'm hopeful that our kids of today aren't dropped into either of those buckets, and instead invited to be wherever on a continuum they want … Continue reading Portland Wrestling: A league of its own
Memories
Oregon, football and stadiums: a recap
When I first wrote the blog Early Portland and the flying pigskin I had no idea I was merely scratching the surface of this fascinating topic. And, whereas I frequently remind folks that I am no historian, I do find the stories I have learned to be an interesting and welcoming distraction during these times … Continue reading Oregon, football and stadiums: a recap
Stories of our generation: Mount St. Helens
Each generation holds memories unique to a time period, influenced by place. I have no doubt all of us alive today will forever remember the impact the novel coronavirus makes on our lives, creating unique but oddly similar stories, many of them sad. For people living in the Pacific Northwest on May 18, 1980, the … Continue reading Stories of our generation: Mount St. Helens
A religion of kindness
Had you asked me before –prior to this pandemic– if I'd ever blog about religion, I am certain I would have answered no, without hesitation. Way back then it simply wouldn't have been something to pop to the top of my writing topics of the moment. Too private. And, prior to the pandemic, I was … Continue reading A religion of kindness
Mourning
I miss her. This mother of mine. My missing of her is different than that of Dad. He who already left this earth. I’m an unknown shape to her through the window unless it’s a good day. She sees the darkness in my hair. Outline of my lips in a smile against the paleness of my … Continue reading Mourning
This one’s for Karen
Our dear friend Karen died on February 4 of this year, 11 days prior to my release of Then, Now, and In-Between: Place, Memories, and Loss in Oregon. Karen was loved by so many: friends like me and students and co-workers and sisters and brothers and nephews and sons and a daughter and her husband … Continue reading This one’s for Karen
Bring back the joy: the illustrations we remember
My brain is distracted, as much as I want to get on with writing something significant. (But what...my distracted brain asks....is significant?) During my non-work hours and between checking email or worrying about my adult kid making it through COVID-19 or thinking about an elderly mom I can't visit - I have moments of concentration, … Continue reading Bring back the joy: the illustrations we remember
Industrial hygiene: from science to the art of winging it
Being an industrial hygienist in the time of the novel coronavirus is a bit surreal. Most of us IH's have gotten used to the challenge of trying to help people understand just what it is we do, once in a while apologizing for what feels like a dated job title. I know that early in … Continue reading Industrial hygiene: from science to the art of winging it
True confessions: Kitchen Aerobics
This new world of COVID-19 invites me to write about topics not previously imagined or considered. For after all, in what has before felt more like normal times - even if I didn’t recognize them as such - I write about things of importance, at least from my perspective. More than that, much of my … Continue reading True confessions: Kitchen Aerobics
What about that deck of cards?
With two book events cancelled last week - strangely one to a weird mid-March snow storm - I decided to take advantage of a virtual world I sometimes complain about. For some time I've been meaning to explain a bit more about the 1909 deck of Portland & Columbia Gorge Playing Cards I was gifted … Continue reading What about that deck of cards?
